New on York: Shopclass, more vintage design for Highland Park

Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

The partners behind the new vintage store Shopclass in Highland Park are Jeff Garbs, Sally Breer, center, and Ellen LeComte. To the left are 1970s white vinyl and chrome armchairs; to the right are Martin Visser chairs with seats reupholstered in vintage military tent material.

The partners behind the new vintage store Shopclass in Highland Park are Jeff Garbs, Sally Breer, center, and Ellen LeComte. To the left are 1970s white vinyl and chrome armchairs; to the right are Martin Visser chairs with seats reupholstered in vintage military tent material. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Craig Nakano

Shopclass, the latest home decor store on York Boulevard in Highland Park, opened this month with floor-to-ceiling stacks of vintage Dutch Modernism, furniture reupholstered with an eclectic touch, thrift store art and enough oddities to please flea market junkies.

The partners considered downtown L.A. and Echo Park, Breer said, but ultimately chose Highland Park for its “community vibe.” Workshops on rewiring lamps, making your own headboard and other DIY endeavors will be part of the draw — a strategy that has worked well for the Pop-Hop bookstore, Platform design boutique and other businesses on the ever-evolving stretch of York between Aldama Street and Avenue 50. (If you missed it, check out our home-centric look at York Boulevard published a year ago.)

The real key to Shopclass, however, is the merchandise, a mix of cool and kitsch that is priced 20% to 40% below what you might see on the Westside.

“We want it to inspire everyone who walks in the door,” Breer said, adding that their goal is to fill the store with so much stuff that shoppers feel like they can get lost — in a good way.

“I'm talking objects that remind you of another time or place — maybe one you know, maybe one you don't.”